Classical Music: Your "Must Have" List

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  • phoneisbusy
    phoneisbusy Posts: 867
    edited August 2002
    I'd recommend Gorecki's Symphony No 3. It's a bit melancholy,
    borders on depressing at times, but it's also very moving.

    My disclaimer for it's not for everyone.
    Time is the best teacher. Unfortunately it kills all its students.
  • MxStYlEpOlKmAn
    MxStYlEpOlKmAn Posts: 2,116
    edited August 2002
    mines beethoven 5th sympathy....thats awesome how the treble and bass and everything is so unpredictable...its awesome...lol
    Damn you all, damn you all to hell.......
    I promised myself
    No more speakers. None. Nada. And then you posted this!!!!
    Damn you all! - ATC
  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited January 2010
    TA-DA!

    I was doing some searching on classical music and ran accross this thread....read Micah's treatise....probably one of the most informative posts in the Club Polk archives.

    I'm going to throw out a few discs that you should own:

    http://www.amazon.com/Vaughan-Williams-Fantasies-Ascending-Variants/dp/B000004CVM

    I've got a few different versions of The Lark Ascending but Marriner has this one cold....I have it on LP and it's superior.

    Maybe you like opera...maybe you think you don't. Listen to this though and you'll see what all the hubub about Pavarotti is/was. Nessun Dorma is one of my hifi highlights...

    http://www.amazon.com/Puccini-Turandot-Sutherland-Pavarotti-Ghiaurov/dp/B0000041Q3

    Wagner....ok, I'm not a HUGE Wagner fan. I understand why people do...but, generally, I'm not one of them. However, I DO like the Ride of the Valkyries....and if you really want to hear it, you got to get the Sheffield LP. Leinsdorf and the LA Philharmonic....
    http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/29272/Leinsdorf_Los_Angeles_Philharmonic_Orchestra-Wagner_Ride_of_The_Valkyries-Preowned_Vinyl_LP

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    edited January 2010
    I picked this up based on a member's recommendation, and love it. This is 'spacey' classical.

    Shostakovich: The String Quartets

    http://www.amazon.com/Shostakovich-String-Quartets-Dmitry/dp/B0000042HV/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1263590836&sr=1-2
    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
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  • DForeman
    DForeman Posts: 468
    edited January 2010
    TroyD wrote: »
    TA-DA!

    I was doing some searching on classical music and ran accross this thread....read Micah's treatise....probably one of the most informative posts in the Club Polk archives.

    BDT

    Perfect. This is just what I need (Micah's treatise).

    I know what classical music I like, just not what specific recordings to buy.

    Thanks TroyD and Micah
    Parasound P5 Pre
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  • Knucklehead
    Knucklehead Posts: 3,602
    edited January 2010
    Yngwie Malmsteen:

    Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra in E flat minor, Opus 1
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    Office stuff

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    Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music. ~Ronald Reagan
  • DeusExa
    DeusExa Posts: 491
    edited January 2010
    Violin Concertos -
    (Preferred violinists: Hilary Hahn, Julia Fischer, Anne-Akiko Meyers, but no one's perfect.. Hahn comes really close..)

    Mendelssohn - Concerto in E minor (Hilary Hahn, Nicola Benedetti)
    Tchaikovsky - Concerto in D Major (Either Perlman or Fischer)
    Beethoven - Concerto in D Major (Again, Hahn)
    Shostakovich - Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor (Hahn...I love her sound, and this is a hauntingly beautiful piece)
    And several Bachs...and the Sibelius and Bruch

    Piano Concertos
    Grieg in A minor
    Rachmaninoff 2/3 (Argerich)

    Symphonies
    Mozart's 40th, 25th (Vienna Phil)
    Beethoven's 5th, 9th (Berlin)
    Dvorak's 9th (London)


    String Quartets/Trios
    Brahms Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor
    Beethoven Piano Trio in D major ("Ghost")
    Shostakovich String Quartets (complete collection, Emerson String Quartet)

    And a bunch of solo or individual pieces, such as Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Chopin Etudes (Winter Wind), Paganini Caprices, Verdi's Requiem, La Campanella, Devil's Trill, etc)
  • jimbo1421
    jimbo1421 Posts: 772
    edited January 2010
    If my classical music collection were to burn up in a fire, which 5 would I replace first?

    Ravel, The Complete Piano Music, Robert Casadesus
    Chopin, Poetry of the Piano, Ivan Moravec (complete Nocturnes, Ballades, & Preludes)
    Vivaldi, Concertos for Diverse Instruments, I Solisti di Zagreb
    Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet Ballet MusicPhilharmonia Orchestra
    Dvorak, Symphony #9 "New World" New York Philharmonic, Bernstein conducting

    Then I would check Micah Cohen's list and work from there.

    (Nah, I would just start hitting the thrift stores again and buying whatever looked interesting.)

    Jim
    5.1 System:
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  • Pycroft
    Pycroft Posts: 1,960
    edited January 2010
    Jimbo...I like that...if my collection were to burn up...I would replace:

    1. Same as you - Dvorak 9th conducted by Bernstein. Love the upbeat tempo of the third movement.
    2. Brahms Requiem - Conducted by James Levine - Chicago Symphony (Grammy award winner) 2nd movement is a true dirge, and Kathleen Battle does the second greatest Brahams Requiem Soprano solo I have ever heard.
    3. Beethoven Missa Solemnis - Both Beethoven and I agree this is his greatest ever composition. The recording is tough - Sometimes the period instruments with Gardiner, sometimes - for sentimental reasons, the Bernstein recording.
    4. Beethoven 9th - Conducted by Maazel and the NYP. My favorite recording of this wonderful piece!
    5. Verdi's Requiem - Robert Shaw and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus - Grammy award winner, with America's greatest choral conductor.
    2 Channel/HT:
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  • jimbo1421
    jimbo1421 Posts: 772
    edited January 2010
    Some of those are favorites since I was old enough to be allowed to handle the record player.

    Jim
    5.1 System:
    TCL R613 55" 4K
    Front: SRS-3.1TL
    Center: CS400i
    Surround: Monitor 10B
    PSW10 subwoofer
    Onkyo PR-SC886P Pre/Pro
    NAD T955 5 channel power amplifier
    Technics SL-1710 MK2 turntable
    Audio-Technica AT14Sa cartridge
    Parasound P3 pre-amp
    Oppo BDP-103 Blu-Ray
    2014 MacBook Pro 2.8 GHz

    2.0 Office System:
    Monitor 10A (Peerless)
    Outlaw 1050 receiver
    Parasound HCA-1000A power amp
    MacPro
  • bikezappa
    bikezappa Posts: 2,463
    edited January 2010
    This is a great thread.

    What ever happened to Dr. Spec?

    I liked his posts along with his data.
  • TNRabbit
    TNRabbit Posts: 2,168
    edited January 2010
    Ravel: La Valse
    TNRabbit
    NO Polk Audio Equipment :eek:
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,521
    edited April 2010
    Mods, can we sticky this?
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
  • John30_30
    John30_30 Posts: 1,024
    edited April 2010
    Here's a small ( hope they grow) apparently Canadian site that features lossless downloads. Dunno about their claim that flac is "better than cd", but we don't haveta go there, do we?"

    Analekta
  • warren
    warren Posts: 756
    edited April 2010
    emergence- athens guitar trio Great sound...
    From Hayden, Dvorak, Bach, to a new kid on the block "Philip Glass", born a year before me 1937, something to check out...
    Some final words,
    "If you keep banging your head against the wall,
    you're going to have headaches."
    Warren
  • JPSmario
    JPSmario Posts: 142
    edited April 2010
    jimbo1421 wrote: »
    If my classical music collection were to burn up in a fire, which 5 would I replace first?

    What a great way to put the question! I would first look for:

    Stravinsky- Firebird, Rite of Spring, Petrushka (Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky- Columbia Masterworks)

    Beethoven- Complete Symphonies (George Szell - Cleveland Orchestra)

    Bartok- Concerto for Orchestra, Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste (Leonard Bernstein - NY Philharmonic)

    2001: A Space Odyssey Soundtrack for the Gyorgy Lygeti pieces and the Blue Danube

    As much as I love fine recording quality with lush textures, high drama, and ultra-wide dynamics and staging, I have to say that for me the musical performance is more important. I'll gladly give up some sound quality if it's in exchange for a performance that touches, triggers or churns my emotions. I have an HDCD reference recording of Firebird/Rite of Spring that sounds incredible, putting me right there in the room, but the music just doesn't move me the way the performance does with the recording of Stravinsky conducting the pieces.

    Great Thread! I'm glad it has the sticky:)
    Dual 1229/Grado Gold/Rotel RCD1070/RC995/RB980BX/Pioneer 7100/Denon DRM710/Monster HTS3600MKII/PolkAudio SDA2B/TL's
  • Edward Brendan
    Edward Brendan Posts: 3
    edited April 2010
    The BluRay player will up-convert standard def DVD's but it can usually do a slightly better job than the TV does because it has access to the digital data on the disk. But I warn you: once you get used to HD TV channels and BluRay disks - it is a painful transition to watch standard def DVD's any more. Even with a up-converting BluRay player. It's not the players or cables fault - standard def is 1940's video technology.
  • camp21178
    camp21178 Posts: 273
    edited April 2010
    Has anyone ever heard The Planets by Holst. Mars, Bringer of War is almost like heavy metal.
  • TNRabbit
    TNRabbit Posts: 2,168
    edited April 2010
    camp21178 wrote: »
    Has anyone ever heard The Planets by Holst. Mars, Bringer of War is almost like heavy metal.

    Duh; only one of the top 5 recommended classical pieces~ :rolleyes:


    :p:D;)
    TNRabbit
    NO Polk Audio Equipment :eek:
    Sunfire TG-IV
    Ashly 1001 Active Crossover
    Rane PEQ-15 Parametric Equalizers x 2
    Sunfire Cinema Grand Signature Seven
    Carver AL-III Speakers
    Klipsch RT-12d Subwoofer
  • virtualdean
    virtualdean Posts: 286
    edited April 2010
    Aaron wrote: »
    I have many Telarc orchestral recordings, but my latest one, "1812 Overture" is by far the best. It was recorded using Sony's DSD technology (SACD sampling method). I was skeptical until I heard the disc. It is truly amazing. I can't imagine what the SACD version sounds like.

    Aaron

    Its sounds GREAT! Get a sacd player to experiment. You can get a cheap one on amazon. Warning, its addicting :)
  • HHStuart
    HHStuart Posts: 263
    edited April 2010
    I really rediscovered an interest in classical music when I upgraded my Polk speakers and when I started getting into SACD's.
    So far my top classical SACD's are
    Massanet - Melodies
    Beethoven - Symphonies 1 and 5 (Paavo Jarvi - Conductor)
    Multi channel on this makes a difference
    Bizet/Grieg - Carmen Suites, Pier Gynt Suite
    Arrangements fit well together, great sound
    Mozart - Flute Concertos, Symphony # 4 (Jupiter)
    Sibelius - The Sound of Sibelius (Swan of Tuonela, Finlandia)
    Vivaldi - Four Seasons
    Various - Baroque Music for the Brass and Organ

    Not strictly classical but a somewhat Jazzy version of Bach:
    Best of Play Bach.

    I was hoping for CD's but better and I found it.
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  • Pycroft
    Pycroft Posts: 1,960
    edited April 2010
    I may be a purist, but I've found the classical SACD listings a bit on the low quality side. Perhaps great recording, and and technology, but I want to hear the BIG orchestras and the BIG conductors. I want Bernstein, von Karajan, etc. I saw a few Solti recordings - Cleveland orchestra I believe. I am not sure buying a classical sacd with the South Dakota Philharmonic conducted my George's dad will do it for me. That said, does anyone have recommendations of SACD's that may fill my need. I prefer symphonic works, and large choral works, and song cycles by high quality singers.

    Any comments on the Solti recordings?

    Thanks, and great thread!

    James

    EDIT: Also, prefer romantic era music, but will go back as far as Baroque - classical (Mozart, Haydn is hit or miss for me).

    James
    2 Channel/HT:
    Sony SS-M9 P's (ES version)
    Sony SS-M1CN Center Channel
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    Sony SACD Player
  • John K.
    John K. Posts: 822
    edited April 2010
    James, as you say, SACD certainly isn't a guarantee of performance quality, and it also doesn't necessarily result in superior sound quality. Many SACDs do in fact sound better, but as the tests described in the AES Journal paper by Meyer a couple of years ago indicate, this is due to better recording, mixing and mastering, not any automatic format superiority(the excellent SACDs sounded equally excellent when processed through 16 bit, 44.1KHz ADC/DACs, "downgrading" them to the CD standard).

    Now, if you can ease off a bit on the BIG orchestra, BIG conductor requirement and simply enjoy great music in great performances and sound, here's a list of favorite SACDs that should meet your needs: first a pricey, but worth the $22 up cost, Mobile Fidelity Ravel collection ; Carmina Burana ; Debussy orchestrations ; Ilya Murometz ; Vaughan Williams collection . This is all gorgeous and/or exciting music in excellent sound and available from some of the Amazon sellers at a reasonable price.
  • camp21178
    camp21178 Posts: 273
    edited April 2010
    TNRabbit wrote: »
    Duh; only one of the top 5 recommended classical pieces~ :rolleyes: OOPs, It is on some of the original posts from 8 years ago. I guess I didn't look back far enough, d'oh!
  • Motzart
    Motzart Posts: 1,075
    edited April 2010
    I got this in the mail today....never heard of the Guy till this week.
    Penguin Guide gave it a top award of Rosette and for good reason....it's GREAT!
    Very worth while to add to my collection. Cd number 161 for me.

    Maybe a good one for YOUR must have?

    846278515_5odcA-M.jpg

    Listen to samples here
    http://www.amazon.com/Rubbra-Symphony-Sinfonia-Sacra-Morning/dp/B000000AYR/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1272135264&sr=8-2

    .

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  • fafner
    fafner Posts: 115
    edited April 2010
    I will start with Wagner's Ring Cycle by the Valencia Orchestra and chorus, Zubin Meta conducting. The sound is authored in 7.1 DTS Master HD audio and is the best I have ever heard for any Ring Cycle. The video is also incredible, especially since the production incorporates lots of projections and unusual costumes and special effects. The creators claim that every Prop that Wagner describes is in the production, but in no way will any one see this as a traditional Ring Cycle Production.

    I would be interesed to hear from anyone else who has seen this production.

    fafner
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  • John30_30
    John30_30 Posts: 1,024
    edited April 2010
    Motzart wrote: »
    I got this in the mail today....never heard of the Guy till this week.
    Penguin Guide gave it a top award of Rosette and for good reason....it's GREAT!
    Very worth while to add to my collection. Cd number 161 for me.

    Maybe a good one for YOUR must have?

    846278515_5odcA-M.jpg

    Listen to samples here
    http://www.amazon.com/Rubbra-Symphony-Sinfonia-Sacra-Morning/dp/B000000AYR/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1272135264&sr=8-2

    .
    Very interesting guy, Motzart. I never heard of him before either.

    Thanks
  • Willow
    Willow Posts: 10,862
    edited May 2010
    I would suggest for those who like strings, to give Paganini a listen, that guy was a freak on the violin.
  • John30_30
    John30_30 Posts: 1,024
    edited May 2010
    Willow wrote: »
    I would suggest for those who like strings, to give Paganini a listen, that guy was a freak on the violin.

    The original rockstar shredder. And like those guys, a comparative lightweight, no substance, just riffs.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 7,658
    edited May 2010
    Hello,
    In music there seems to be periods of time where a virtuoso comes along who has such technical skill that composers are spurred to write more advanced music. In the case for Paganini his violin playing inspired composers such as Berlioz and Schumann to try and increase their level of expression.
    Enjoy, Ken